THE EXCISE-MENS' LAMENTATION: OR, An Impeachment in behalf of the Commons of this Nation, against their insulting Publicans, and cruel Oppressors and Extortioners: With their Acknowledgement, Confession, and Testimony, touching their proceed in each County;  
And the vast and mighty Sums which they most wickedly retained: Collected by their unlimited Power, Spongy Hearts, and long-stretched Consciences.  
Also, the rising of the Welshmen against a party of them at Monmouth; and the manner how Mr. CROW (the Farmer of Excize) ran naked into a Tub of feathers; where, after a short time, he was taken, and a great Oath and Charge inflicted upon Him.  
Published for information of the People.  
London, Printed for G. Horton. 1652.   

THE EXCISE-MENS' LAMENTATION: OR, Their strange Creed, and Litany, etc.  
O God the Father have mercy upon Us, miserable Excize-men; for we have done those things which we ought not to have done, and left undone those things which we ought to have done, and there is no truth in Us; Lord pardon all our high, unjust, and illegal proceed, and deal not with Us after our sins, nor reward Us after our iniquities. And we beseech thee Lord power thy grace into our hearts, that as we have known Christ thy son's incarnation by the message of an Angel: so by his cross and passion, we may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection. But Lord, open thou our hearts, and let our purses show forth thy praise; that so we may with cheerfulness and alacrity return and give in a most just and due account of all those vast and great sums, which we have wickedly, fraudulently, and deceitfully gained by an unlimited and outstretched Conscience; for we must ingenuously acknowledge and confess, that our carriage and proceed hath been so high rigid and harsh both to the Rich and Poor, that with a wet finger we could easily clear and lay up 500 l. per annum, whereas before this blessed Reformation, we were not masters of 50 pence at the years end: But alas! all these great and illgotten Revenues, after some time of Extortion, began to dissolve and melt like snow in warm gleams: Therefore, we now earnestly desire to abandon those ways of wickedness; humbly beseeching the Lord to give us hearts to dread him, and for the time to come diligently to live after his Commandments.  
Yet notwithstanding many there are who still remain very rigid and cruel to the Poor; and having lately put in practice their cruel proceed at Monmouth, the poor people taking balled Time by the forelock, unanimously risen, and fell upon he quarters of one Mr. Crow (the Farmer of Excize) beat off his guard, but he himself ecaped in his shirt, and ran and himself in a Tub of Feathers; but all would not save him; for at last he became a Bird in hand, and (contrary to his expectation) set him free with all his feathers; who having made him swear on the Bible, that he should become an honest man, they dismissed him without wounds, but half frighted him out of his wits.  
Others there are who take upon them the Ministerial Office; but mum! only I say, if there must needs be a trade driven, and an employment found for the pragmatique active hands of the Commonwealth, Let them even turn aside to those Publicans, and Extortioners, who have devoured Widows houses, and brought good families to a morsel of bread; O that the soldier may be resolved the Oppression is intolerable, and that the Commonalty may be confirmed where the Knave lies; for till this fair reckoning be made, it is impossible but there must be an inward core and grudge between man and man.  
O but let us consider, when the Revenue of the Ministry is once taken off, what itinerant piece of Homily, will venture the merchandise of his labour for an uncertainty of bread? into what contempt and scandal would that glorious calling crumble into, when every Clodpate shall sit in Judgement, whether a Divine deserve his Sunday dinner? 'tis true indeed, such pitiful shreds of predication as the world may produce, may preach through plain song to the humour of the Vulgar, and the people perhaps delight to have it so: but yet let me tell you 'twill be a doleful Message, when judgements become their own Prophets, and the plagues of heaven find no fore runners of their horrid presence. O but these are times of revelation, and men are more familiar with the Deity then in the days of old! I grant indeed there is abundance of pretended intimacy with divine workings, else certainly the modern confidence were a strange presumption; but nevertheless (with submission to the supreme censure) the Widow would hardly have found her groat by putting out the candle; neither we in slighting the Ordinances of God, which are the ministerial means of our illumination, shall ever by the feel of our groping invention be able to direct our straying feet in the ways of Righteousness, under the ridiculous notion of prophetical inspiration; no, though we cut ourselves with Knives, and cry mightily; for that Spirit may either be asleep, or in a journey, or in pursuit; but resolution brooks no counsel: nay, than we have no refuge but our tears and prayers; And happier than are the dead, that are already dead, than the living which are yet alive. Questionless, but there are tendet hearts, which would show the bowels of their compassion in healing up these Ulcers: yet if you would know the reason of this obstruction, Saint Paul says, There was a Law in his members warring against the Law of his mind, and bringing him into subjection to the Law of sin and death: Therefore, since we have found the malady, let us endeavour to suppress its fury in the bud, every man mend one, and let the general prayers mediate for all; for man must die, and the good and evil of his Works follow him to his sadder doom or happiness; and then, my hearts,  
An honest Conscience, Is worth a Commonwealth.   
FINIS.